Separating and grading machine



June 1 5, l943 R. E. 'rHuRNl-:R

SEPARATING AND GRADING MACHINE Filed Dec. 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nlm"IIIIIII,

"NH my wlllullln June 15, 1943. R. E. THURNER 2,322,074

SEPARATING AND GRADING MACHINE Ruinart E Thu'r'n P Eg /W FlttnrngPatented June 15, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEPARATING ANDGRADING MACHINE Robert E. Thurner, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application December 17, 1940, Serial No. 370,507

2 Claims.

- This invention appertains to machines for grading and separatingmaterials, and more particularly to a novel device for reclaimingcontaminated carburizen Carburizer is a granular material used in theheat treatment of steel, and during the continued use thereof, the samebecomes mixed with dust particles and fine scale, which must be removedif the carburizer is to be used again.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to pro-vide a closedmachine in which the material to be cleaned is dumped, with means forautomatically agitating and carrying the material to one end of themachine and to a suitable receiving receptacle, the dust particles beingseparated from the material during the agitation of the material.

Another salient object of my invention is the provision of a reticulatedor foraminous drum rotatably mounted in the casing, with means forleading the material from a hopper to the low end of the drum, the drumhaving means for carrying the material from one end thereof to the otherduring the rotation of the drum, whereby the material will beeffectively operated upon.

A further object of my invention is the provision of novel means forsupporting and rotating the drum, and for effectively holding the drumagainst longitudinal shifting movement during the rotation thereof.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of a novelshield arranged at the low end of the drum for guiding the material intothe drum from the hopper and for prevent ing the escape of the materialfrom the low end of the drum, the shield also forming a bearing surfacefor engaging a thrust roller utilized to hold the drum againstlongitudinal shifting movement.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of novel meansfor adjustably mounting the drive motor in the casing, whereby the samecan be moved to the best advantage relative to the drum and to the driveand supporting shafts for the drum.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described, claimed. and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my'novel machine.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, central, vertical, sectional view through themachine.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional view through themachine, taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, transverse, sec- Cin tional View taken on theline 4 4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction o-f the arrows,illustrating the thrust and guard shield on the lower end of the drum.

Figure 5 is a detail, sectional view taken' on the line 5 5 of Figure 2,looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the drive for thedrum.

Figure 6 is a detail, horizontal, sectional view taken on the line 5 6of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating theadjustable support for the motor.

' Figure 7 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 'I 'l of Figure6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the letter A generally indicates my novel machine, and the same includesa casing I0 in which the various parts are mounted.

The casing can be constructed in any desired manner, and, as shown, thesame includes corner angle iron standards Il connected at their upperand lower ends by transversely and longitudinally extending angle ironstrips I2. This provides a rigid supporting frame, and, if desired, theframe can be further reinforced by other brace strips I3. Welded orriveted to the frame are sheet metal side walls Id and sheet metal endwalls I5.

Arranged within the top of the casing IIJ is a hopper I6 for initiallyreceiving the material to be cleaned or separated, and this hopper isprovided with a bottom inclined wall I'I, which leads down toward adischarge spout I8. Directly below the hopper is a rotatable grading orseparating drum I9, and this drum is disposed at an angle to thehorizontal, and the spout I3 leads into the lower end of said drum. Thedrum I9 can be constructed in various manners, and, as shown in thepresent instance, the same includes solid annular end bands 20 connectedto the body portion 2| of the drum, which can be formed from perforatedsheet meta-l or heavy wire screen. Arranged within the drum is a doublescrew or spiral blade 22, and this double screw serves to reinforce thedrum and to carry the material gradually from the lower end of the drumto the high discharge end of the drum.

In order to effectively support and rotate the drum, a pair of spaced,parallel shafts 23 are provided, and these shafts adjacent theiropposite ends are provided with rubber friction drive rollers 24, whichengage the annular bands 20 of the drum. The shafts 23 are disposed onopposite sides of the longitudinal center of the drum, and the drumrests between the shafts and on the friction rollers 2Q. Consequently,upon the rotation of the shafts 23, by means which will be laterdescribed, the drum can be rotated. The shafts are rotatably mounted insuitable front and rear bearings and 26, and these bearings can besupported by transverse brace bars 21, and these bars can be suitablysecured to the frame of the machine.

One of the important features of my invention is the provision of anannular plate 28 located at the extreme lower end of the drum, and thisplate is rigidly secured to the adjacent annular band 20 of the drum.This plate prevents the downow of material from the drum and acts as anannular bearing track for an antifriction thrust roller 29. This roller29 is carried by a bracket 30, which is, in turn, secured to a partitionwall 3|, which extends transversely across the casing. The thrust roller29 prevents the downward shifting movement of the drum and holds thedrum in place during the rotation thereof. The annular plate 28 carriesa frustoconical shield 32, which serves to control the flow of materialfrom the spout I8 and delivers the same to the interior of the drumduring rotation.

Also arranged within the casing below the high end of the drum is areceiving funnel 33, and

the material is adapted to be fed from the drum by the screw 22 intosaid funnel. The funnel terminates in an inclined chute 34, which leadsout of the end wall of the casing. In practice, a suitable receptaclecan be placed under the chute for catching the material.

The partition wall 3| divides the casing into a motor-receiving chamberand a dust-receiving chamber 36. A sliding drawer 31 is mounted withinthe dust-receiving chamber 36 below the drum, and the drawer is adaptedto receive the dust and ne scale which falls from the drum during theagitation of the material. This drawer 31 can be removed through oneside wall I4 of the casing, and the drawer can be provided with asuitable hand pull 38. The casing above the drawer 31 can be providedwith an inclined guard flange 39, and this flange extends around theupper edge of the drawer, so as to eifectively guide the dust into thedrawer and to prevent the seeping of dust into the bottom of the casing.

An electric motor 40 of the desired rating is arranged within thechamber 35, and the armature shaft 4l of the motor has keyed theretospaced pulley wheels 42 and 43, around which are trained drive pulleybelts 44 and 45. These belts are also trained about relatively largepulley Wheels 46 and 41, which are keyed or otherwise secured to theshafts 23.

I provide a novel mounting for the motor, whereby the motor can beraised and lowered and shifted back and forth to adjust the tension onthe drive belts. The mounting for the motor includes transverselyextending channel bars 48, and these channel bars have their endsresting upon brackets 49, which are rigidly secured to the bottom framebeams l2. The brackets 49 are slotted, as at 5B, and bolts 5l extendthrough the bars 48 and the slots in said brackets. Hence, the bars 48can be adjusted back and forth. The motor 4l) is connected by hinges 52to one of the bars 48, and the other of said bars carries adjustablethreaded rods 53, and these rods are, in turn, connected to the base ofthe motor.

Thus, it is obvious that by adjusting the rods up and down, the motorcan be raised and lowered on the hinges, and by shifting the bars 48back and forth, the motor can be bodily moved longitudinally in thecasing. Thus, the motor can be disposed to the best advantage relativeto the drum and to the drive shafts. It is also obvious that the pulleywheels 46 and 41 can also be adjusted back and forth on their shafts toa desired position.

In use of my machine, the material to be cleaned or separated is dumpedinto the hopper I6, and the electric circuit is closed through themotor. The shafts 23 will be turned through the pulley wheels 46 and 41,and the rotation of the shafts will turn the drum through the medium ofthe friction rollers 24.

The material will flow down the spout I3 onto the flared shield 32,which effectively regulates the supply delivered to the drum. Theannular shield plate 28 will prevent the falling of the material fromthe drum, and the material will gradually bc carried up the inclineddrum by the feed screw 22, and during the travel of the material up thedrum the same will be effectively agltated, permitting the dropping ofthe ne material through the drum. The coarse clean material will becarried up the top edge of the drum and into the funnel 33, and thematerial will then be discharged through the spout 34, as previously setforth. The fine material falling,r from the drum will be caught by thedrawer, and the drawer can be readily removed for dumping.

While I have stated that the machine is particularly adapted forcleaning carburizer. it is to be understood that the machine can be usedfor various other purposes.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit of thescope of my in vention, but what I claim as new is:

l. In a, separating and grading machine, a hopper for initiallyreceiving material, an inclined drum rotatably mounted below the hopperhaving a body portion provided with openings for permitting the passageof line particles there through, a feed screw carried by the interior ofsaid drum for conveying material from the low end of the drum to thehigh end of the drum, a receiving funnel arranged under the high end ofthe drum, means for rotating the drum, an annular shield plate carriedby the lower end of the drum for preventing discharge of the materialfrom the lower end of the drum, a flared distributing skirt carried bythe annular shield plate extending into said drum, and a delivery spoutleading from the hopper and extending into the lower end of the drumthrough the shield plate terminating in close proximity to thedistributing skirt for delivering material directly thereon.

2. In a separating or grading machine, a hopper, an inclined drumrotatably mounted below said hopper, a plate secured to the lower end ofsaid drum and provided with a central opening, an inwardly extendingfrusto-conical shield carried by said plate surrounding said opening,and a delivery spout leading from said hopper into the lower end of thedrum through the opening in the plate, said spout terminating in closeproximity to the lower end of the Truste-conical shield for deliveringmaterial directly thereon, said frusto-conical shield rotating past thedischarge end of the delivery spout.

ROBERT E. THURNER.

